Traditional DDR memory operates within a certain temperature window—often around 100 degrees Celsius or less—and going beyond that window will result in potential data loss and thermal throttling. Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new memory architecture that quite literally behaves the opposite of DDR memory, featuring an operating window of at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius) and can run at over 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius).
This unorthodox memory design takes advantage of properties found in batteries to store data at extraordinary temperatures. Data is stored by moving negatively charged oxygen atoms between two layers inside the memory, a semiconductor tantalum oxide and metal tantalum. These oxygen atoms are transferred between the two (different) tantalum layers through a solid electrolyte that behaves like a barrier, keeping the oxygen atoms from bouncing between one layer and the other.
The oxygen atoms are purportedly guided through three platinum electrodes, which control when each atom is moved from one layer to another or vice versa, representing a change in the data. These movements behave similarly to batteries in that the three electrodes control whether the oxygen atoms are drawn into the tantalum oxide or pushed out, similar to a battery charging or discharging.
The oxygen content of tantalum oxide can purportedly act as an insulator or a conductor to represent a digital 0 or one, enabling the material to switch between two different voltage states.
This is a wildly different solution to handle system memory than traditional ones. Today's memory solutions take advantage of moving electrons, which are very sensitive to temperature. Increase the temperature too much, and the electrons become uncontrollable due to the limits of physics with electrical current. Conversely, this exotic memory solution from researchers at the University of Michigan relies on oxygen atoms, which do not suffer from the same temperature limitations.
The researchers point out that this oxygen atom-based memory solution operates at such a high minimum temperature that heaters might be required to get the memory up to operating temperature before it can start working, almost like internal combustion engines, which also need to operate within a specific temperature window to provide maximum power output. No claimed maximum temperature window exists, but the researchers reveal that information states can be stored above 1,100F for more than a day.
The researchers also note that this solution is more power efficient than alternative memory designs such as ferroelectric memory or polycrystalline platinum electrode nanogaps due to its design.
